What Is Ceramic Coating, and How Does it Extend the Lifetime of Your Car Wrap?

When you’ve shelled out on a stunning car wrap, the last thing you want is to find that it quickly fades or becomes damaged. Commercial wraps tend to be at the highest risk, since vans and lorries can spend many hours on the roads, exposed to dirt, dust, oil and pollutants that strip away at the coating on any vehicle.

Let’s explain what ceramic coating is, how it works, and why it’s well worth considering if you want to keep your vehicle wraps looking awesome, for years to come.

How Long Does a Commercial Truck Wrap Tend to Last?

In most cases, professionally applied fleet wraps or car wraps last up to about five years, depending on where you live, how often you need to clean your vehicles, and what sort of conditions the vinyl wrap is exposed to.

There are plenty of things you can do to make sure your fleet looks exceptional for longer:

• • Avoid high-pressure jet washing that can strip away at the vinyl wrap.
  • Get in touch if your wrap is looking a tad worn – good upkeep and maintenance, or replacing a wrap when it starts to look shabby is essential.
  • Use soft sponges and cleaning materials to avoid scratching or scuffing the wrap surface.
  • Always use a pro wrap installer to make sure it’s fitted adequately for long-term use.
  • Try and park out of direct sunlight in the summer.
  • Install a ceramic wrap coating to create a tough outer layer to keep your commercial wraps protected.

Decent car and maintenance are far and away, the best option for making sure your wrap lasts longer. If you notice any bubbles, created by prolonged exposure or scorching temperatures, always get in touch to have them fixed properly.

What is a Ceramic Lorry Wrapping Coating?

Let’s be clear that wrap coatings aren’t the same thing as a standard paint coating. Therefore, you’re always best advised to use a pro car wrap team to apply a ceramic coating, as a standard paint protection product isn’t going to deliver the results you’re after.

Paint protective films are used for any type of car, whether it’s wrapped or not. Basically, it’s a see-through urethane material that creates a barrier to defend paint jobs from fading, denting and staining. Ceramic coatings are liquid polymer and chemically bond with the wrap to create a rock-solid layer, which is hydrophobic. That’s exactly what it sounds like – your ceramic wrap coating repels water, meaning that nasty’s and chemicals can’t worm their way in to break down the outer surface.

Van wraps aren’t designed to be permanent – which is the beauty of being able to easily rebrand or remove a wrap to sell a vehicle, which isn’t quite so simple if you’ve got a paint job!

That said, a decent 3M wrap can last you a good few years, and you’ll want it to look tip-top for that time. Using a ceramic wrap coating means that you keep your car wraps looking glossy, smooth, fade-free and in good shape.

What are the Benefits of Using a Ceramic Coating on Commercial Wraps?

So, we know it often comes down to cost, and if you’re working to a budget, it’s all about weighing up the pros and cons! There are a tonne of reasons why a ceramic coating is a smart investment if you’re upgrading your fleet with commercial wraps:

1. Fly Finishes!

Ceramic coatings create a rigid, outer defence that shields your wrap from the elements. A gloss finish can make your graphics pop, with a high-shine surface that looks perfect for years to come.

You can also select matte ceramic coatings for a deeper, more enhanced colour palette, with superb clarity.

2. Minimise Damage

Another great benefit is that, while a ceramic coating won’t stop you from scratching your van wraps, it can create resistance from damage caused by washing, or everyday abrasion.

We’re not saying that if you reverse into a bollard, your ceramic coating will help you bounce back from a new dent, but ceramics do stop minor irritants from reaching your wrap. Ceramics are also resistant to chemicals – a lot of road damage causes fading simply because of the acidic conditions, built up from exhaust fumes, oil and things like screen wash.

3. Keeps Your Wrap Dry

As we’ve mentioned, a ceramic wrap coating is hydrophobic – again, that’s not a miracle cure that creates a custom made umbrella for your wheels, but one that means rain and chemicals on the motorways won’t build up on your wrap.

Where dirt, grime and dust slide off of your wrap without bonding to your vehicle surface, you avoid contaminants building up and chipping away at your car graphics.

4. Minimal Maintenance

If you’ve got a large fleet and some cool commercial wraps, you’ll want a solution that is easy to look after, doesn’t cost a fortune in specialist cleaning products, and lasts the duration! Ceramic wraps do this in spades; they bond permanently bond with the vinyl wrap, so you don’t even need to worry about waxing and polishing anywhere near as often.

You’re also protected from UV damage, which is one of the prime culprits that causes paint jobs to fade – the tough ceramic layer prolongs the finish of your wraps, preventing it from breaking down after a summer of days on the road.

All in all, choosing a ceramic coating is a great way to make sure your car wrap lasts as long as possible and looks fantastic during all of that time. Investing in your fleet wraps is all about delivering excellent branding, standout visuals that grab attention, and creating an aesthetic that offers impactful marketing wherever you go.

Ceramic wrap coatings are worthwhile protection from all the damage, pollutants and wear and tear that slowly deteriorate the quality of your commercial wraps, and mean that your style will look vibrant, dynamic and captivating, with years of use from every vinyl wrap!